C-MAP: Building a context-aware mobile assistant for exhibition tours

This paper presents the objectives and progress of the Context-aware Mobile Assistant Project (C-MAP). The C-MAP is an attempt to build a personal mobile assistant that provides visitors touring exhibitions with information based on their locations and individual interests. We have prototyped the first version of the mobile assistant and used an open house exhibition held by our research laboratory for a testbed. A personal guide agent with a life-like animated character on a mobile computer guides users using exhibition maps which are personalized depending on their physical and mental contexts. This paper also describes services for facilitating new encounters and information sharing among visitors and exhibitors who have shared interests during/after the exhibition tours.